Are fermented home-canned berries safe?

Are fermented home-canned berries safe? - Woman in Pink Robe Sitting on Chair

I just opened home-canned blueberries and blackberries. They are probably 5 years old, and taste like alcohol. Are they safe to eat? I don't know anything about the original canner's intent.

The blueberries still have their skins and seem to be in juice.



Best Answer

Unless you know that the alcohol was added by the cook at the time of canning, I’d treat it as a sign that “something” happened. And in canning, “something” is always considered bad, because it means the food was in uncontrolled conditions.

I’d stick to the golden food safety rule of “when in doubt, throw in out”, just to be safe.




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Quick Answer about "Are fermented home-canned berries safe?"

The toxin is made most often by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Improperly home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods can provide the right conditions for the bacteria to make the toxin. You cannot see, smell, or taste the toxin, but taking even a small taste of food containing it can be deadly.



The UNHEALTHY TRUTH about fermented foods




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